Electric switch device



Dec. 19, 1933. R. H. BENTLEY 1,940,525

ELECTRIC SWITCH DEVICE Filed Juhe 3o, 1932 6,0/ as I Y INVENToR 57 T ROBERT H. BENTLEY BY HIS ATTORNEYS Mwam" Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,940,525 ELECTRIC swl'rjcrr DEVICE" necticut Application June 30, 1932. Serial No. 620,250

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switch de vices, more particularly it relates to that type of device described as feed through switches.

It is an object of my invention to provide a switch which has a plurality of contacts that are secured permanently within a casing in aneffective and economical manner.

Another object is to insulate the securing means for the contacts of a switch of the abovetype from accidental or inadvertent engagement by the hand of anyone who may operate the switch.

Other objects and advantages of my invention r. will appear as it is described in connection with f' the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of one half of a two part feed through switch casing containing the switch mechanism and a plurality of contacts assembled according to the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the half of the casing shown in Figure 1 but with the switch mechanism removed' therefrom.

Figure 3 is a section view of the invention taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the bus bar used in the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a switch mechanism is contained within a flattened elongated insulating casing formed of two parts l and 11, with the dividing plane between the two parts running longitudinally of the casing parallel to the iiat top and bottom surfaces of the casing. All parts of the switch mechanism and its cooperating stationary contacts are secured to one half 10 of the casing. Any suitable switch mechanism may be used. For the purpose of illustration I have shown a switch mechanism received within the centrally located annular well 12 and constructed and operating substantially like the switch shown in the copending application `of Monroe Guett Serial No. 502,225, iiled December 13th, 1930, Patent No. 1,878,843, patented September 20, 1932 to which reference may be had for a detailed description of this type of switch.

The switch has a resilient, metallic, movable contact member 14 which has two oppositely eX- tending long arms 14a and 14h and two short oppositely extending arms 14o and 14d, the contact faces at the ends of the long arms lying in a plane parallel to but spaced from the contact faces on the ends of the short arms. This contact member is adapted to be rotated with a snap motion, clockwise or counterclockwise, in steps angular- (ci. zoo-11) ly spaced approximately 45 apart, by means of the switch mechanism so as to engage and disengage, selectively, spaced stationary contacts whose contact faces are located in two different planes one above the other as will hereinafter 0 more fully appear. The movable contact member 14 is rotated with a snap motion by a spring which is wound around a collar 22 upon one end of the switch spindle 24. Upon the other end of the switch spindle is fixedly mounted an insulating disc 26 by means of which the switch spindle may be manually rotated. This disc is of slightly greater diameter than the'width of the casing section 10 measured across its flat outer surface. Upon the inner surface of the insulating disc 26, near the spindle, are cam faces 28 which are adapted to engague with other cam faces 30a on the lower face of a toothed cam disc 30 that is movable rotatively and axially upon the switch spindle so that as the spindle is rotated and the cam surfaces 28 and 30a engage the disc 30 will move axially along the spindle for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The disc 30 has radial teeth which engage in circumferentially spaced radial recesses 32a cut in the wall of a` central aperture 33 in a frame' or rack 32. The frame 32 is annular with a pair of segmental wings 32h, extending in diametrically opposite directions from the periphery ofthe frame. The frame is placed in position from the outside of the part 10 of the casing with the frame axis coinciding with the axis of the well 12. In order that the frame may be so placed the wall of the well is cut away from the outside of the casing section 10 inward a short distance to provide a recess into which the frame will exactly fit. The outer diameter of he frame is slightly larger than the diameter of the well 12 so that the cutting away of the walls of the well, in forming the frame recess, results in the formation of a shoulder 36 upon which the frame seats.

A latching member 38, which is loosely mounted upon the switch spindle, has legs 38a extending in one direction parallel to the switch spindle and fitting loosely in recesses in the camvdisc 30 to permit movement of that disc axially along the switch spindle as the cam surfaces 30a on the disc 30 engage the cam surface 28 on the insulating disc`26 as disc 26 is manually rotated. A compression spring 40 surrounding the spindle 24 between the latching member 38 and cam disc 30 presses the disc 30 toward the frame 32 tending to hold the teeth of the disc 30 in the recesses 32a o f the frame, but permitting them to move out of the recesses when the insulating disc 26 is rotated as just described. Other arms 38h on the latching member extend in the opposite direction from the aforementioned arms 38a and engage with the contact member 1'4 to cause movement 5 of the contact member with the latching member 38. One of these arms 38h lies parallel to and adjacent a downwardly turned arm 42a upon a disc 42 which is mounted for rotation with the switch spindle 24 on the upper end thereof.

When the switch mechanism is assembled as shown in Figures 1 and 3, a circular boss 44 which is formed on the inner face of the disc 26, rests against the surface of the frame 32 holding it in its seat upon shoulder 36 of the casing section 10. This method of holding the frame is a novel feature of my invention, for although the frame could be made of insulating material and formed integrally with the casing, section 10, a metallic frame as shown is more serviceable and its use makes it possible to use the simpler form of casing section shown.

The stationary switch contact members 50, 60, 70 of the device are stamped from sheet metal and have wire terminal portions a, 60a, 70a, by means of which feed wires may be connected to them. Two of these' wire terminals 60a, 70a are located at one end of the switch casing and the other wire terminal 50a is located at the other end of the casing. The contact portions 50c, 60e, '10c of these members are arcuate and lie within arcuate grooves concentric with and behind the wall of the well 12. 'Ihe arcuate contact portions 50c, 60e of the members 50, 60 lie in one circumference whose center lies in the axis of the switch spindle and well 12, while the arcuate contact portion 70e of the member 70 lies in another larger circumference whose center is also in the axis of the switch spindle and well. 'I'he contact portion 50c has three contact fingers 501, 502, 503, extend- 40.. ing outwardly of the groove in which the contact portion 50c lies and the end of said fingers which comprise contact surfaces are flush with or slightly above the top of thegrooves in order that they may be engaged by the short arms 14e and 14d of 455. thecontact member 14. The contact portion e hastwo contact fingers 601, 602 like the fingers The contact finger of the contact portion 50c.

601 is diametrically opposite the contact finger 501 and the contact finger 602 is "diametrically 50. opposite 'the contact finger 503. The contact portion '70e of the contact 70 has two contact fingers 701, 702 extending upwardly into or through the dividing plane between the two casing sections which is slightly above the plane in which lies the contact surfaces of contacts 501, 502, 503, 601, 602. These contact fingers 701, '102 are engaged by the long arms 14a and 14h as the switch member 14 is rotated.

A bus bar 80 stamped from sheet metal and .having wire terminals f81, `82 at its ends lying adjacent opposite ends of the casing lies in the bottom of a groove running along one side of the casing section 10. 'I'he bus bar is thus completely insulated from the other parts which are Al contained in the casing. In use the two feed wires from a source of current supply are connected to the wire terminals 50a and 81 and three feedwires are led from the wire terminals 82, 60a, 70a, to the ends and an intermediate point of a two part resistance (not shown) such as is commonly found in electric heating pads and the like. The circuits established by the rotation of the contact member 14 because of its engagement with the various stationary contacts need not be described in detail since these circuits are well known to those skilled in the art. It is sufficient to say that the circuits established make it possible to obtain high, medium and low degrees of heat or no heat inthe resistance.

An important feature of my invention is the method of securing the bus bar and the stationary contact members 50, 60, and 70 in the casing section 10. Each of the stationary contacts 50, 60, '70 and the bus bar 80 is provided with a tongue T, which extends through the base or casing 10 to a point beneath the insulating disc 26 and the Aends of these tongues are split and bent sideways or otherwise deformed thus securing the contact members and the bus bar-permanently to the casing in their proper positions. Since the bus bar and the switch contacts are current carrying parts it is a distinct advantage to have the ends of the tongues located beneath the insulating' disc 26 where the hand of the person operating the switch cannot accidentally or inadvertently come in contact with them.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a switch device of rugged construction in which the parts are all held firmly in place and which will not be readily disabled by extensive or abusive use. Although `I have described my invention in connection with a feedthrough switch it is obvious that the principle I thereof may be adapted to other electrical devices of a similar nature and therefore I do not limit my invention to the-specific form illustrated.

I claim:-

l. In a feed-through switch device, an insulating casing, a switch mechanism, enclosed therein, current carrying members having wire terminal portions and contact surfaces, projections on said memberspassing through said casing and having their ends deformed to hold said members to said casing, and a manually actuable switch operating member having an insulating portion covering said deformed ends and insulating them from accidental contact with a persons hand.

2. In a switch device, an insulating base, a switch mechanism mounted thereon and including a toothed member and a member having recesses for the reception of said teeth, one of said members being seated in a recess in said base and held against rotationthereby, a rotatable switch actuatorv having a portion overlying the seated member and holding it in said recess.

3. In a switch device. an insulating base, a switch mechanism mounted thereon and including a toothed member and a member having recesses for the reception of said teeth, one of said members being yseated in. a recess in said base and held against rotation thereby. a rotatable switch actuator having a portion overlying the seated member and holding it in said recess. current carrying members having wire terminal portions and contact surfaces, and projections on 1./ 9 said current carrying members passing. through said base and having their ends deformed to hold said current carrying members to said base, fsaid switch actuator covering said deformed ends.

, ROBERT BENTLEY. 

